Alberto Ascari was the first double Formula One drivers' champion, but the automaker named in his honor didn't have such a big impact. Founded in 1995, Ascari built a handful of cars before exiting the business in the mid-2000s. One of those cars is this 1997 Ascari Ecosse, which is currently up for sale in The Netherlands via RM Sotheby's. The asking price is 165,000 euros (approximately $200,277).

For those unfamiliar with the Ecosse, a total of 19 of them were built between 1997 and 2003. It was conceived as a more road-ready counterpart to the Ascari F/GT, the British company's first model.

Both the F/GT and Ecosse were designed by Lee Noble, who went on to start his own eponymous supercar company. Noble also supervised production of early examples of the Ecosse—including this car.

1997 Ascari Ecosse (Photo by RM Sotheby's)

1997 Ascari Ecosse (Photo by RM Sotheby's)

The Ecosse is powered by a 4.4-liter BMW V-8 upgraded by tuner Hartge. The mid-mounted engine produces 300 hp which, combined with a curb weight of just 2,756 pounds, allows for 0-60 mph in just over four seconds and a top speed of 200 mph. This particular car also has a 6-speed manual transmission, rather than the original 5-speed.

While originally registered in the United Kingdom, this car spent most of its early years at the Ascari Race Resort (another business of Ascari Cars owner Klaas Zwart) in Southern Spain. In 2011, it was exported to The Netherlands, where it remained in the possession of the Zwart family until 2019, when it was acquired by the current owner, according to the listing. It's covered just over 12,000 miles over its lifespan.

Ascari Cars went on to produce the KZ1 and A10 supercars before exiting the car business. Noble went on to form Noble Automotive, launching a line of hardcore sports cars, including the Noble M400, which was eventually sold in the United States in kit-car form as the Rossion Q1.